AUBURN, Ala.-- The Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team (1-5) suffered a 6-1 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks (6-1) Friday night in their first game of the Auburn University Tiger Invitational in Auburn, Ala. It's the third UTC loss in as many games.
Starting pitcher Taylor Deason (Clarksville, Tenn.) got her second start of the season and fourth appearance. Head Coach Frank Reed also made a small defensive change, playing senior Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.) at shortstop for the first time since her sophomore year. Freshman Alyssa Taylor (Orange, Calif.) got the start at second base.
The Lady Mocs fell behind by one run in the bottom of the first inning before Kansas tacked on four more in the second inning. Two hits, an error, walk and a hit batter set up the four-run Kansas inning. Allowing just three hits, Deason was pulled in the second after the Jayhawks were able to score five runs off the sophomore.
Rachel Albritton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) entered in the game in the second inning and allowed an inherited runner to come around on a single, but the freshman recorded two outs to get Chattanooga out of the long frame.
The Lady Mocs got on the board in the top of the third inning after Poteat walked on four pitches. A batter later, Kasey Tydingco(Fairfield, Calif.) singled up the middle to advance Poteat to second base. With two on, freshman Anyssa Robles (Hoschton, Ga.) roped a single down the leftfield line to score Poteat from second.
Kansas extended its lead to 6-1 in the fourth inning when leadoff hitter Alex Jones reached on a hit-by-pitch. A passed ball moved Jones to second before a single from first baseman Maddie Stein drove in the Jayhawks' sixth run of the game.
Neither team was able to put a run across in the fifth and sixth innings, and the Jayhawks shut the Lady Mocs down in the top of the seventh inning to slam the door on the win.
Kansas pitcher Alicia Pille threw seven innings, allowing just four hits and an earned run. Pille fanned nine batters.
Chattanooga continues the Tiger Invitational Saturday at 4 p.m. as the Lady Mocs take on Indiana State. Following the matchup with the Sycamores, UTC will face off against the Tennessee State Tigers, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Chattanooga wraps up the weekend Sunday at 3 p.m. as they take on the